Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 February 2023
468. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí enrolled per annum in the years 2019 to 2022 and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9479/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff, under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). As Minister I play no role in these independent functions.
I can however assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, which is reflected in an allocation of over €2 billion in Budget 2023.
This level of funding will provide a steady pipeline of new Gardaí in the coming years, supporting the recruitment of up to 1,000 Gardaí and 400 additional Garda staff this year, with new recruits to enter the Garda College approximately every 11 weeks.
In the interest of transparency, Garda workforce figures are published on gov.ie and regularly updated by my Department, from information supplied by the Garda Authorities. The allocation of Probationer Gardaí, who have attested from the Garda College, up to the end of January 2023 can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/7c2e6-probationer-gardai/
